7pm BST

Five Britons die in Ecuador bus crash

19-year-old Emily Sadler, who was killed in the bus crash in Ecuador. Photograph: Hertfordshire Police/PA

Five Britons were killed and another 12 injured when their bus crashed in Ecuador, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said today.

Students Rebecca Logie, 20, Indira Swann, 19, Sarah Howard, 27, Elizabeth Pincock, 19, and Emily Sadler, 20, died last night as they travelled from the capital Quito to the coastal town of Puerto Lopez.

They were taking part in a trip organised by Warwick-based gap year specialists VentureCo.

The crash happened at about 7.30pm local time yesterday in Sancan, on the road between Manta and Jipijapa, when a bus from the company Reina del Camino was struck by a lorry, the Ecuadorian news website eldiario.com.ec reported.

British embassy staff are providing consular assistance on the ground and FCO officials are working with the tour company to inform next of kin.

The wreckage of the bus after the crash in Ecuador. Photograph: AP
Also injured in the crash were another 12 Britons, a French national and two Ecuadorians, a driver and a tour guide.

VentureCo said the injured members of the group would return to Quito by air today.

In a statement the company said: "Our deepest sympathy goes to those involved and their families and friends."

A Facebook group set up ahead of the trip to Ecuador lists 18 expedition members, including one person from VentureCo.

It says they were taking part in either the "Inca and Amazon Venture" or the "Inca Venture".

Both trips set out on March 27 and started with two weeks of Spanish language tuition in Quito, according to VentureCo's website.

Travel advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website warns that Ecuador's roads can be hazardous.

It reads: "General road conditions are adequate in Andean and coastal areas, but driving can be dangerous due to the condition of the vehicles on the road and local driving techniques."

Sign up for the Guardian Today

Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.

About this article

Five Britons die in Ecuador bus crash

This article was published on
the Guardian website
at 09.47 EDT on Sunday 13 April 2008.
It was last modified at 09.47 EDT on Monday 14 April 2008.
It was first published at 14.09 EDT on Sunday 13 April 2008.